CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) NASCAR will hold a street race on Naval Base Coronado in Southern California next June as a replacement for its downtown Chicago event that ran the last three years.
The move to the San Diego area does not eliminate a return to Chicago , where NASCAR will still maintain an office and effort an eventual return, perhaps as early as 2027.
But the shift next year will allow NASCAR to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy by hosting all three of its national series over a three-day weekend on June 19-21.
As part of our nations 250th anniversary, we are honored for NASCAR to join the celebration as we host our first street race at a military base, Naval Base Coronado, Ben Kennedy, executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer, said Wednesday. NASCAR San Diego Weekend will honor the Navys history and the men and women who serve as we take the best motorsports in the world to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.
It will be NASCARs second street race in the sports history, following the three-year run in Chicago, and first on an active military base. The course layout is not complete but is expected to be around 3 miles.
NASCAR has seen Auto Club Speedway close after the 2023 race. It built a temporary short track inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2002 through 2024 but moved that event to North Carolina.
Kennedy, who has been bullish on new endeavors for his family business, was the brains of the races at the Coliseum, Chicago, this years visit to Mexico City and now next year in San Diego, a venture the Navy is excited about.
NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence, Navy Secretary John C. Phelan said. Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, its not just a historic first, its a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country.
From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR.
The base is known as the West Coast Quarterdeck and is a consortium of nine Navy installations that stretch from San Clemente Island 50 miles off the coast of Long Beach to the Mountain Warfare Training Facility 50 miles east of San Diego.
NASCAR named Amy Lupo, who has been with the series since 2021 and helped launch the Coliseum, as president of the race. She spent more than 20 years at ESPN expanding the X Games when she lived in San Diego early in her career. She still lives in Southern California.
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AP auto racing:
美联社北卡罗来纳州夏洛特电 —— 纳斯卡（NASCAR）宣布将于明年6月在南加州科罗纳多海军基地举办街道赛，取代过去三年在芝加哥市中心举行的赛事。
搬迁至圣迭戈地区并不意味着彻底放弃重返芝加哥，纳斯卡赛车联盟仍将在该市保留办公室，并努力争取最终回归——最早可能在2027年实现。
但明年的赛程调整将使NASCAR得以通过6月19日至21日为期三天的周末举办其全部三项全国系列赛，以此庆祝美国海军成立250周年。
美国纳斯卡赛车（NASCAR）执行副总裁兼首席场馆与赛事创新官本·肯尼迪周三表示："值此美国建国250周年之际，我们很荣幸能在科罗纳多海军基地举办首届军事基地街道赛，与全民共庆这一盛事。圣地亚哥纳斯卡周末赛事将向海军历史及现役官兵致敬，届时世界顶级赛车运动将驶入科罗纳多海军基地的街道。"
这将是NASCAR赛事历史上的第二场街道赛（此前在芝加哥连续举办三年），也是首次在现役军事基地举办的比赛。赛道布局尚未最终确定，但预计全长约3英里。
美国纳斯卡赛车协会（NASCAR）旗下奥托俱乐部赛道已于2023赛季结束后关闭。该协会曾在2002至2024年间于洛杉矶纪念体育场内搭建临时短道赛场，但现已将该项赛事迁至北卡罗来纳州。
肯尼迪一直对其家族企业的新事业充满信心，他不仅是芝加哥竞技场赛事的策划者，还主导了今年墨西哥城之行以及明年圣迭戈的活动——这一项目令海军倍感振奋。
美国海军部长约翰·C·费伦表示："纳斯卡赛车通过速度、精准和对卓越的不懈追求，完美体现了美国精神的精髓。在海军航空诞生地——北岛海军航空站举办赛事，不仅是历史性的首创，更是对我们共同价值观的有力致敬：坚韧、团队精神以及对国家的热爱。"
从飞行甲板到赛道终点线，这一合作体现了美国海军与纳斯卡赛车共有的高强度运作特性和目标一致性。
该基地被称为“西海岸后甲板”，是由九处海军设施组成的联合体，其范围从距长滩海岸50英里的圣克莱门特岛，一直延伸至圣地亚哥以东50英里的山地作战训练基地。
美国纳斯卡赛车协会（NASCAR）任命艾米·卢波（Amy Lupo）为赛事总裁。卢波自2021年起加入该系列赛事，并协助创办了竞技场赛事。其职业生涯早期在圣地亚哥生活期间，曾效力ESPN超过20年，致力于拓展世界极限运动会（X Games）。现仍居住于南加州。
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